Donald Robinson Gets First Ever Win

Posted by Becca Rattei
5/18/2014 8:26:20 PM

(Photos courtesy of Layn Mudder of LPT Images.) Drivers were eager to hit the high banks of the Dacotah Speedway, Friday, May 16th as Prairie Knights Casino and Starion Financial night saw 115 cars through the pit gates.

A ten lap IMCA Sport Compact feature started a night before a brief intermission. Josh Roehrich blew by pole sitter Kody Stoxen and Brandon Anderson on the start and took the lead early. Roehrich and Stoxen distanced themselves from the field only to be caught a couple laps later by last week's feature winner Jamie Schlafmann. As Schlafmann stalked Stoxen's back bumper, fourth place Nylee DiMeo had her hands full holding off a tough Michelle Stoxen. As they came to the checkered flag, DiMeo's car fell off the pace, allowing Michelle Stoxen and Anderson to finish fourth and fifth respectively. Kody Stoxen held off a strong Jamie Schalfmann to finished second behind feature winner Josh Roehrich.

Two IMCA Modified concy's were needed to determine the rest of the 24 car field for the feature. In the first ten lap concy, Russ John and Joren Boyce started on the front row. Boyce stole the lead on the start as Russ John and Tracy Domagala raced side by side for second. Domagala would win the battle, leaving Russ John to fend off a strong Shawn Strand. Strand quickly picked off Russ John for third and set his sights on Domagala. With four laps remaining, Strand passed Domagala for second and took the lead from Boyce one lap later. Strand led the final three laps to win the concy race over Boyce, Domagala and Russ John who would all transfer to the feature.

Minot's Allen Kent took the lead quickly in the second IMCA Modified concy. Kent and second place Jerad Thelen pulled away from the field as pole sitter Monte Gawryluk tried to hold off Josh Wolla for third. Wolla dove low into corners one and two to take third from Gawryluk. A lap six caution regrouped the field and on the restart, Gawryluk stumbled, giving up the final transfer position to Eric Fetzer and Travis Ulmer. Fetzer and Ulmer battled hard for fourth place however, the young gun Fetzer held on to transfer to the feature. Josh Wolla finished third behind Jerad Thelen and concy winner Allen Kent.

After a complete restart, it was a three wide battle for the lead between Josh Roehrich, Keith McCleary and Jeremy Engelhardt in the Hobby Stock feature. Engelhardt shuffled into the lead but a series of early cautions slowed the paced. With seven laps to go, Engelhardt distanced himself from the field, leaving second place McCleary to fend off Nathan Messer. As the laps wound down, Messer's car started to fade, losing positions to Wyatt Rath-Wald, Brent Vetter and Roy Erickson. Rath-Wald and Vetter battled hard for third while also catching the second place car of McCleary. As the checkered flag waved, McCleary narrowly hung on to finish second over Rath-Wald and Vetter. Roy Erickson finished fifth while Jeremy Engelhardt led all 15 laps to win the feature.

Zach Frederick of Richardton, ND grabbed the lead from pole sitter Dustin Frank in the WISSOTA Street Stock feature. Jamestown's Billie Christ quickly drove to the front picking off Cole Lewis for fourth. Christ made it a three car battle for second with Travis Ulmer and Dustin Frank. Ulmer would take second as Christ would follow under Frank for third. Cautions would favor Christ as would take second from Ulmer on a lap 11 restart and the lead from Frederick on a lap 10 restart. On a restart with nine laps to go, Christ pulled away, leaving Frederick and Ulmer to battle for second. A caution with two laps to go gave Frederick and Ulmer one last chance at Christ for the feature win. However, Christ was too strong and took the checkered flag with ease. Frederick edged Ulmer at the finish line to finish second. Eric Harpole held off Wishek's Chris Michaelson for fourth.

Pole sitter Charles Woock led the first two laps before Drew Papke blew by for the lead in the INEX Legends feature. Woock fell into the clutches of third place Kevin Jensen and they raced side by side until Jensen took the position with seven laps to go. A caution with five laps to go would regroup the field and on the restart Troy Hoff blasted by Jensen and Woock and into second place. Another caution with three laps to go put Hoff on Papke's rear bumper. Hoff took the lead on the restart and led the final two laps to win his second career feature victory over Papke. Kevin Jensen finished third ahead of Dauntae Martin and Donavin Wiest. *Feature winner Troy Hoff was disqualified after the conclusion of the feature for failing to scale after the race. Drew Papke was declared the feature winner.

In the final feature of the night, Mike Nelson and Herb Bargmann started on the front row. Bargmann grabbed the lead early while Nelson faded quickly through the field. Brent Schlafmann and Donald Robinson battled for second and as they raced, they quickly caught the leader Bargmann. It was a three car battle for the lead but Robinson swiftly passed both drivers and took the lead on lap eight. Robinson quickly drove away while Bargmann and Schlafmann continued to race for second. Minot's Spencer Wilson made it a three car race for second. Schlafmann passed Bargmann with 10 laps to go, bringing Wilson and Shawn Strand with him. Strand who started 17th, battled Wilson and Schlafmann for second place however, he ran out of time. Strand had to settle for fourth behind Wilson and Schlafmann. Jason Wolla of Williston rounded out the top five as Donald Robinson won his first feature victory at the Dacotah Speedway.